


Three Yellow Canaries

by Justagirlwithapen



Series: Soulmate AU - Importants object tats with various ships and fandoms [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 04:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18230189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justagirlwithapen/pseuds/Justagirlwithapen
Summary: Harry didn’t understand the yellow canary on his shoulder





	Three Yellow Canaries

Harry didn’t understand the yellow canary on his shoulder, didn’t know who it belonged to. When he was younger, he swore he saw it move, but everytime he mentioned it, his aunt would give him more chores and his uncle would whack him uptop the head. Then, Hogwarts happened, and Harry knew for sure that the little yellow canary moved. It would perch on his shoulder when he needed confidence, flew over his heart when he was happy, slept on the pulse of his wrist when he felt lost or empty inside, or just needed cheering up or comfort. During quidditch games, it twisted and zoomed along with him, and made him feel giddy.

Draco was baffled, as was his father, at the snitch on the pulse of his wrist. It was such an odd thing to be fond of, Draco thought. A tiny golden ball that scurries around, trying it’s best to not be caught by someone who needs it to win. Hoping to find the person who’s mark he had, Draco joined the quidditch team as a seeker as soon as he could. Saint Potter got on Gryffindor’s the year before, but Draco knew that if first years were allowed to try out, he too would’ve been there as Slytherin’s seeker. Regardless, they were both seekers of rival houses. Draco had no clue who’s mark he had. No one else had bothered trying out for Slytherin seeker after he had made his intention known, and the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seekers were such a bore, and 7th years to boot. He tried sneaking around to see who else was seeker wannabe, but was out of luck.

Then, one day during 8th year while Draco was lurking about, he remembered what Snape had mentioned about Dumbledore’s will. The thought of the old headmaster made Draco’s head rush, but Snape had brought him up anyway. Said Dumbledore gave a gift to Harry and both of his little friends. Let’s see, he thought. Snape said that Hermione got a wizard fairy tale book, Ron got his device that takes electric light and returns it, and Harry got… Harry got a snitch. Draco hadn’t really been paying attention, but remembered his father throwing a weird glance in his direction. It was Potter, it had to be. Potter was his soulmate. This theory was only further confirmed when he spotted Harry in the Year 8 dorms, playing with said snitch with a slight smile on his face. 

During the second wizarding war, Harry had almost forgotten about soulmates and the little canary tattooed onto his shoulder, but more often than not on the pulse of his wrist. Only once it was over and he returned to Hogwarts for an 8th year did Harry remember it. It was still a comfort though. He knew his soulmate was still alive, because his tat wasn’t scarred over like Remus’s was when Sirius died. Besides that, Harry had no clue who’s it was. If he was being honest, he didn’t really care if he figured it out. He’d had enough chaos the past 18 years, he’d like some peace and quiet now. But then one night Harry jerked awake, a nightmare lingering in his head. Restless, he donned the invisibility cloak and decided to go for a walk through the castle. He thought that that ought to clear his head. He had been walking for some time and was about to walk past a path leading to a hidden courtyard when he heard a voice. Curious at who it could be, and with the suspicions of one who’s always been in danger, he walked towards it. There was Draco Malfoy, on the other side of the courtyard, leaning on the stone railing next to a few twittering birds. For some reason this courtyard let in the light of the moon, and as Harry got closer to his stone railing, he could see Draco better. Draco was wearing muggle pajamas, a Nasa sweater with fuzzy pajama bottoms, and was talking to the birds with a soft and fragile smile. Talking, that is, softly to a few yellow canaries. Harry held back a gasp of surprise.

“Hmm. It’s nice being here with you three. It’s lonely out there. What my parents did and this tattoo on my arm brand me a villain. I have no friends here, nor even friendly faces. But, mother wishes for me to finish my education, and she’s done so much for me. I wish I could see you guys more often. I envy you, you know. You are free. You can fly where you want, do as you wish, be whomever you want to be with no regrets or obligations holding you down. Y’know, sometimes I wish I could just fly away from all this. From this life and future. Merlin, I envy you three.”

Harry stared for a moment, before slowly leaving, not wanting to intrude further than he already had. His yellow canary tat was flying all around before landing on his heart for a few moments and before doing it again. His soulmate was Draco Malfoy, the person who’d bullied him for years. Draco Malfoy, the boy Harry had a weird obsession with for a few years. The boy with a messed up family and a father that followed the Dark Lord. A boy who, Harry realized, had never been given a choice. And now, when Draco could finally take control over his life, nobody would give him the time of day. By the time Harry got back to his dorm, his heart ached. 

The following morning, when Harry went into the great hall for breakfast, Malfoy was sitting alone at the end of the Slytherin table like always. People gave him a wide berth, and the rest of the table was as far from him as possible. Draco looked miserable as he poked at his food, and Harry noticed how gaunt his face was. Ignoring Ron and Hermione’s confusion, Harry broke apart and walked over to where Draco was, and sat across from him. The hall had gotten quieter, and he could feel eyes watching him, but he was used to being made into a spectacle. 

“What are you doing here?” asked Draco. 

“First day of our first year at Hogwarts, you turned to me and offered to be my friend. And I rejected you. I’ve been regretting that for years, but more and more as of late. I’d like to retract my answer. If you’d take it, I’d like to be friends with you.” 

Draco stared at Harry with a look in his eyes that Harry couldn’t quite comprehend. He propped his head up by his arm, revealing the fluttering snitch mark, and asked, “What if we’re not fated to be friends?”

Draco was expecting backlash, not for Harry to tug up his sleeve, revealing a napping yellow canary.

“I think we’ll figure it out.”

Harry extended his hand, and, after a few moments of baffled silence, Draco took it, and never let go.


End file.
